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Character Creation
This is where you will begin to create your character. Starting Attributes After your GM has determined how many starting points you will receive (45, 60, or 80), you will assign them amongst your 6 Main Attributes. All 6 attributes start at 1''' and you increase them from there with the allotted points to a maximum of '''6 in any attribute. You can have as many attributes at maximum as you can afford with your allotted points. To raise an attribute costs a number of points equal to what the attribute will be. So, to raise from 1 to 2, costs 2 points. To raise from 2 to 3, costs 3 points. And so on. So to raise an attribute from 1 to 4 would cost 9 points. :NOTE: you will be able to use these points to buy Backgrounds as well as Main Attributes. Consult the table in the Backgrounds section to be sure you don't miss out on any benefits (and penalties). Since this is also where you will get your starting cash. Save at least some to buy a Background so you'll have some money. Attribute Bonuses Your Attribue will be your Attribute Bonus as well. However, on your character sheet, you have 3 colums: Base, Adjusted (Adj), and Total. Base can never change. Whatever points you put into the Attribute at character creation is fixed for the life of your character, so choose wisely. Adjusted(Adj) is any modification you make to the attribute via experience progression (detailed in Character Progression), magic items, or cybernetics. Total is the total of Base and Adjusted. It is also what you will use whenever a Skill, Path Talent, Secondary Attribute, or anything else needs an attribute to add to its formula. Attribute Maximums At Character Creation, your Base Attribute cannot exceed 6. After Character Creation, Base is fixed and cannot change, but you can only adjust, or put points into Adjusted, equal to half of your Base (rounded up). For example, your Strength is 5. This means you can put up to 3 points into your Adjusted. This is cumulative from all Adjusted and progression sources, meaning a total of 3 points from character progression, magic items, and cybernetics. This essentially sets any character's maximum Total Attribute (and Attribute Bonus) to 9. This is the maximum for all available Races. Secondary Attributes Once you have your Main Attributes assigned, calculate your secondary attributes. Perception = INT + WIS Willpower = INT or WIS (whichever is higher) + CON Save vs Consciousness (SvCNS) = CON x 2 Save vs Death (SvDTH) = CON Once you have your Secondary Attributes, move on to your additional Attributes. Additional Attributes Some of these will need to be filled out later, but some can be done at this point. Follow the instructions below. Initiative = AGI + PER, Damage Mod = Attribute Total of Your Path's Primary Attribute Encumbrance = (STR + STR) x 12 Max Lift = Encumbrance + 200 Size = determined by Race Movement = determined by Race Jump = determined by Athletics or Acrobatics All but the last 3 can be determined by previous stat point allocation. Size and Movement are determined by Race selection (coming up next). And Jump is determined by the skills Athletics and Acrobatics. This is finalized when you assign your skill points. And though it's not an attribute, calculate you HP. Total HP = CON x 3 Body HP = Total HP Head HP = 1/3rd Total HP Arm HP (Both)= 1/2 Total HP Legs HP (Both)= 2/3rd Total HP Race Depending on the setting, the only race that may be available is Human. However, if in a magic setting or in a setting where there are alien races, you may choose one of the following races. *Dwarf *Elf **Dark Elves (Svartalfar) **High Elves (Ljosalfar) **Wild/Wood Elves (Wylalfar) *Gnome *Goblin *Half-Elf (choose from Elf sub-races) *Halfling *Human *Orc *Succubus/Incubus Each Race has its own page describing in detail their customs, appearance and behavior. Below is a quick summary for each race. There is no race that gives a boost to any Main Attributes. Some give bonuses to Skills or Saves, but none give anything to Main Attributes. Instead, each race has a section called Attribute Guidelines, but they are exactly that: Guidelines. There is nothing set in stone about which race should have what benefit or hindrance in a physical or mental attribute. Where it states in Racial Bonuses that they receive a + to any skill, that is the number of dice that they add to the total dice for that skill. Dwarf The Dwarves a short, but stout race of humanoids. The average Dwarf is between 4’3” (129.5 cm) and 5’1” (152 cm). Though they are a bit stronger than normal humans, they are more known for their amazing constitution. They are also known for their beards, even the women. Dwarven hair color and skin color runs the gambit. There are no set genetic patterns to these traits. Dwarves have a long lifespan, not as long as an Elf, but they do live quite a long time (average 400 years). Dwarves are not considered to reach Adulthood until at least the age of 60. :Size: Medium :Movement: 30 ft. :Racial Bonuses: They receive a general +2 bonus to the total of all Save vs. Consciousness rolls they make for whatever reason (because of damage, poison, drinking, etc.). Additionally, they have the benefit of Thermographic vision. :Attribute Guidelines: dwarves are known for their strength and constitutions. They are also good smiths and crafters, so a good Intelligence is not out of the ordinary either. Elf Elves are tall and known for their graceful movement. They are also known for being very attractive. The average Elf is between 5’6” (167cm) and 6’4” (192 cm). Elves are especially known for their extremely long life spans. The average elf lives to be about 2000 years old. In fact, an elf isn’t considered to have reached Adulthood until at least 100 years of age. There are 3 sub-races of Elves and each one has a little bit different appearance and society. They share a common ancestry to other Sylvan races, but they are different from the Fey cousins. There is no difference in Racial Bonuses between the sub-races. :Size: Medium :Movement: 30ft :Racial Bonuses: all Elves, except the Dark Elves, receive Low-Light vision. The Dark Elves receive Thermographic vision instead. The Elves are also known for being excellent swordsmen and archers. However, just like any other race there is one they prefer over the other. So, the player may choose either a +1 to the skills Archery or Melee while using a sword of any kind, but only one bonus or the other, not both. :Attribute Guidelines: As mentioned in their descriptions, Elves are known for their grace and beauty, so bumping up their Agility and Charisma is a good idea. Gnomes The Gnomes are very similar to the Dwarves, but they’re much smaller. The average Gnome is between 3’ (92cm) and 3’10” (116cm). And like the Dwarves are famous for their beards, the Gnomes are famous for the noses. This doesn’t necessarily mean that they have an exceptional sense of smell, in fact, it’s a normal as any other humanoid. No, the Gnomes are known for the size of their noses. Skin and hair color vary as much as their Dwarven cousins, but they do seem to go bald much earlier than any of the races. Gnomes have a longer lifespan than humans (average about 150 years), but they seem to go bald at the age of sixteen. Now, they don’t go completely bald, but they have a similar male-pattern baldness that humans get around the ages of 40 to 50. Gnomish women do not go bald like their male counterparts. :Size: Small :Movement: 20ft :Racial Bonuses: Like their Dwarven cousins, Gnomes receive Thermographic vision. Like the Elves are famous for their swordplay and archery, Gnomes are famous for their tinkering. Therefore they receive a +1 bonus to one of the following skills: Craft, Engineering, and Mechanics. :Attribute Guidelines: Being so famous for their tinkering, putting points into Intelligence would be a good idea. And they are related to Dwarves, so they are somewhat stout as well, putting something into Constitution wouldn’t hurt either. However, they are not nearly as stout as their Dwarven cousins. Goblins The Goblins have been described as Gnomes are to Dwarves; Goblins are to Trolls. They are tiny trolls, but a general consensus still places Trolls further down on the ugly scale. The average Goblin is between 3’ (92cm) and 3’10” (116cm). They have either smooth, hairless green or gray skin. Their ears are disproportionately long and pointy. This does not give them any enhancement to hearing, it just makes them look funny. Goblins have a normal life span. :Size: Small :Movement: 20ft :Racial Bonuses: Goblins receive Thermographic vision. Also, Goblins are known for their trickster natures. Therefore they receive a +1 bonus to one of the following skills: Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Bluff/Distract. :Attribute Guidelines: Being one of the smaller races, Goblins are know for the agility and manual dexterity, so, putting points in Agility is a good idea. They are also good liars, so putting points into Charisma is a good idea too. This is to say that they’re not pretty, but they are manipulative. Half-Elf Half Elves are the result of human and Elf coupling. They are usually a perfect mix between the two. They are the same height as either their human or Elf parents and share standard genetic traits passed on to offspring just like any other bi-racial species. Though the elven traits seem to come out more (the pointy ears, attractiveness, agility, etc.), they are still just as human as they are elf. They live longer than humans, but not as long as their elven ancestry (normally to about 150 years of age). The player may pick to "mix" with any of the Elven sub-races. However, like the Elven sub-races there is only a difference in appearance and no other benefit other than what is listed in Racial Bonuses. :Size: Medium :Movement: 30ft :Racial Bonuses: Like their Elf parent, the Half Elf receives Low-Light vision. However, since they are a constant reminder of an illicit, sometimes torrid, affair, they are not too welcomed into normal Elf society. Therefore, they receive no bonuses to skills. :Attribute Guidelines: They are part Elf, so they may exude some of that sylvan grace, but otherwise they are human and can put their attribute points wherever they wish. Halfling The Halfling is the shortest of the common races. The average Halfling is between 2’5” (76cm) and 3’3” (99cm). Their hair and skin color vary from Halfling to Halfling, but they are known for an excessive amount of hair on the top of their disproportionally large feet. They live longer than humans on average, but not by much (average 110). Halflings also receive the same Low-Light vision that Elves receive. Same rules apply. :Size: Small :Movement: 20ft :Racial Bonuses: Halflings receive Low-Light vision. Also, Halflings are known for their trickster natures. Therefore they receive a +1 bonus to one of the following skills: Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Bluff/Distract. :Attribute Guidelines: Being one of the smaller races, Halflings are known for the agility and manual dexterity, so, putting points in Agility is a good idea. They are also very clever and intuitive, so a good Intelligence or Wisdom score is appropriate for a Halfling. Human Human is the baseline race for this system. They are not exceptional in any area, nor are they lacking. If you are playing in a less fantasy based campaign, this will be your only option for race. Consult with your GM on which races are or are not available. Unless otherwise noted, this is the only race available. :Size: Medium :Movement: 30 ft :Racial Bonuses: Again, there are no major benefits to being Human, nor are there any hindrances. However, due to humans ability to adapt and persevere, they do receive a slight discount when improving skills. This discount applies to Skills only. It does not apply to Path Talents, Skill Path Abilities or Main Attributes. All humans receive a -2 to the total XP cost to increase a a skill. For example, if it costs 8 XP to raise a skill, for humans, it only costs 6 XP. :Attribute Guidelines: Humans run the gambit from the strong to the weak, the agile to the clumsy, the smart to the idiots, and the lovable to the hated. All this means is that you can put your Attribute points anywhere. Orc The Orc was one of the last of the Common Races to be “civilized.” This is mostly because they argue that they’ve always been civilized, just not in the way that most humans, elves, dwarves, and gnomes are used to. In any case the average Orc or Half-Orc is quite tall, ranging from 5’10 (177cm) to 6’6” (198cm). Their hair color varies as much as any human’s. Their skin is either a tanned brown, a greenish yellow, or a mix between the two. They have a large protruding under-bite and a row of jagged teeth to go with it. They have a normal human lifespan. The player has an option to choose Half-Orc as well. The difference between an Orc and a Half-Orc in game terms is non-existent, but the Half-Orc is there for those who don’t want to be quite as "ugly as" a full Orc. :Size: Medium :Movement: 30 ft :Racial Bonuses: Orcs receive Low-Light vision. Like the Dwarves, Orcs are renown for their resilience. They receive a +2 bonus to their total for all Save vs. Consciousness rolls they make for whatever reason (because of damage, poison, drinking, etc.) :Attribute Guidelines: As mentioned before, Orcs are known for their resilience. Plus they are a warrior race, producing some of the finest warriors in history. It is a good idea, therefore, to put points into Strength, Constitution, and Agility. Succubus/Incubus No one is actually sure where they came from, but it is assumed that they are a mix between humans and the demons that share their name. They are by no means the full demon. Several genetic tests have been done and though they do posses some demonic blood, they do not have the same taint nor innate magic abilities that demons do. With that said the Incubus/Succubus look much like the most drop-dead gorgeous man or woman you’ve ever seen, but with an obvious barbed, vestigial tail that varies from 2 feet long sometimes almost 4 feet long. They can grip and pick up things with their tails, but they cannot perform any complex functions with it (they may use 1/4 their Agility to manipulate objects with their tails, but nothing weighing more than 10 lbs.). Their hair color varies as much as any human, but their skin color is a bit off. Their skin runs from a reddish-pink (literally pink, not flesh colored) to dark blue. They have a normal human lifespan. :Size: Medium :Movement: 30 ft :Racial Bonuses: Succubus/Incubus receive Low-Light vision. Because they exude pure sensuality they also receive a +1 to one of the following skills: Attractiveness, Bluff/Distract, Seduction. :Attribute Guidelines: Because of their natural beauty and sensuality—or unnatural, rather—it is a good idea to put at least a few points in Charisma. Also, preferring flight to fight, they tend to develop some speedy athleticism. It’s a good idea to puts some points in Agility as well. Alternative Races There will be a selection of NPC races in the Gamemastering section. These races will be listed with minimum and maximum attributes. The minimum will essentially be the "Starting" attributes for that race. If the GM allows it, the player can buy that race for a total number of Starting Points equal to the sum of all the minimum attributes times 2 for that race. For example, here are the maximum/minimums for a Troll. STR: 4/9 CON: 5/10 AGI: 1/6 INT: 0/5 WIS: 1/6 CHR: -2/4 Yes that's a -2 for CHR. Thus the sum will be 9. It will cost 18 of the character's starting points to buy the race and whatever is left over, they can distribute amongst their attributes as detailed above provided they do not go over the maximum listed next to the minimum. After character creation, they can put into Adjusted a number points equal to half of the maximum listed (rounded down). So, for the troll example, their maximum total Stength will be 13. All of this on top of what the race gives normally (such as Low-light vision for Trolls as well as Regeneration). Thus, this is a pretty powerful race. It is not recommened that you allow Alternative Races, but it is not forbidden. GMs should excercise caution when allowing Alternative Races. Choose Your Path Though there are no "classes" in this system, the closest equivalent would be your Path. Each path conveys generally passive bonuses that boost your ability to fight, sneak around, cast magic (divine or arcane), or use powers of the mind. Just because you've chosen the Path of War does not force you into a Warrior's role. It may be very close, but each Path has many options allowing you to make your character more of a "raging" warrior (Berzerker/Barbarian), a Swordsman or Swashbuckler, a solider, anything. But, again, in general the Path of War will boost your character's ability to fight. Normally, each character can choose only one Path. However, at the cost of 10 of your starting Attribute Points, you can purchase the boon Many Paths to the Mountain. This boon allows you to choose more than one path. Now, you only get 3 starting Path Talents (detailed in a moment), so at the beginning you may be stretched a bit thin. However, Many Paths to the Mountain allows you to choose talents from other Paths later on using XP, provided you meet all of the prerequisites. Without Many Paths to the Mountain, you can only choose from one Path. Once you choose your Path(s), you get 3 Path Talents (see the specific Path's page for further detail on talents). You can choose any 3 Path Talents within a single Path (unless you chose Many Paths to the Mountain) provided you meet ALL the prerequisites for that Talent. This usually means you won't get much further than the first tier in any given Path. Assign your Skills Besides your Path, your skills will define what you do in the game and also how you will do it. You get a certain number of skills for each of the Skill Spheres. Essentially, a Skill Sphere is the collection of skills related to one of your Main Attributes. For example, Athletics, Climb, Swim, and Wrestling are all under the Strength Sphere. For each Skill Sphere you get a number of skill points equal to the Main Attribute that governs that Sphere times 4. For example, if you have a 4 in your Agility, you have 16 points to spend on all the skills in the Agility Sphere, or the skills listed under Agility on your character sheet. Also, if you have 5 in Strength, you have 20 points to spend in the Strength Sphere, and so on. Each skill rank (at Character Creation only) is spent on a 1:1 basis. Meaning, if you want to raise your skill to 4, it cost 4 points. No skill can be higher than the attribute that governs it. For example, if you have a 4 in Agility, none of the skills under Agility can have more than 4 ranks. :NOTE: The Human Racial Bonus that gives the player a discount to buy skills only applies AFTER Character Creation and only when spending Experience Points (XP). It does NOT apply when assigning Skill Points at Character Creation. At this point, you can also choose any Skill Specialization (detailed in Character Skills), but both during and after Character Creation, no Skill Specialization may be higher than the skill ranks in the Broad Skill, but it can be equal. For example, you have 4 ranks in Medium Blades, you can only have 4 specialization ranks (or less) in Rapier. Choose Your Skill Path A Skill Path is different from regular Paths in that instead of general passive bonuses to perform better, these Skill Paths give you actual Attacks, Maneuvers, or Actions to perform in or out of combat. If you are playing a non-fantasy game (or one without magic), you will skip the Choose your Path section and instead move to Assign Your Skills and continue here. If you are playing a more Sci-Fi oriented game, you can allow Paths from Choose your Path, but exclude Path of Magic and Path of Piety. Then, progress through Character Creation as normal. Not every Skill or Skill Sphere has a Skill Path, but there are many to choose from. There are, of course, a variety of Weapon Skill Paths that give you maneuvers and bonuses to using that particular weapon. There are Technical Skill Paths that allow you to use technical skills (such as Computer Use, Craft ''skills, any of the ''Performance skills) to a much higher degree and grant bonuses and special Actions to use relating to that skill. Like regular Paths, Skill Paths have a number of Talent to choose from. Also like regular Paths, you have set number to begin with. Each player starts with a number of Skill Path Talents equal to their Intelligence (INT) plus the Main Attribute granted by their Path divided by 2. In the case where Paths are not available/allowed, combine your Intelligence (Int) and your highest "physical attribute", i.e. Strength, Constitution, or Agility. Again, those formulas are: If the campaign allows Magic or '''Paths' Intelligence (INT) + Main Attribute from your '''Path' / 2 OR If the campaign does not allow Magic or '''Paths' Intelligence + Highest Physical Attribute / 2 Continuing with its similarity with '''Paths', you can assign the number of Skill Talent Points you have to any Skill Talent you wish, provided you meet ALL the prerequisites for that Skill Talent. Unlike with regular Paths, you are not limited to just 1 Skill Path. You may choose as many as you have Skill Talent Points to buy. Background The next-to-last step is choosing your Background. Each background will give you the described benefits at the cost of points from your starting pool to spend on your Main Attributes. Backgrounds can only be bought at character creation and only with points from your starting pool. You cannot gain Backgrounds with Experience Points (XP), but something similar may happen though story line. Many Backgrounds give you bonus ranks to skills you may already have or start a skill at a certain rank. If you already have the skill and opt to take the bonus ranks in that skill, the still cannot raise above the Main Attribute that governs it in ranks. Additionally, only 1 Background, regardless of cost, can ever be bought. You can only choose 1 Background. However, each Background starts with an amount of starting cash. Final Touches This is the last step! You've made it this far and are almost ready! Contacts and Enemies As mentioned in a few Backgrounds, you gain Contacts (and Enemies). Each one has a rank between 1 and 20, but usually at the 5's (Rank 5, 10, 15, 20). This rank represents how connected they are and what kind of favor they owe you. The higher the rank, the more connected and bigger the favor. All you need to do is record the Type of Contact and their Rank. What can be done with what Rank is in the GM section under Contacts. To use a Contact you must... #Only demand of a Contact something within their area of expertise. For example, do not ask a Political Contact to get you illegal weapons and cybernetics. #Each favor completed by the Contact will reduce their rank by 5, 10, or 15, depending on the risk associated with the favor. You cannot ask for a favor higher than the Contact's rank. #Once a Contact's rank is reduced to 0, it returns to its previous maximum, but you can only use that Contact for information purposes. No more favors can be asked of this Contact unless something during role-play makes them beholden to you. Enemies on the other hand... #Will always act openly hostile, but depending on Rank will only attack you if they hate you enough (at higher Ranks, obviously) #Never lose Rank. They will remain at the same Rank until you resolve the issues between you. This does not always involve combat and death. In fact, the GM may award bonus points for a non-violent solution. Mind you, that said "non-violent", not "peaceful." #Once the issue is resolved (by death or any other means), that enemy disappears and the GM will award you their Rank in XP (e.g. a Rank 15 Enemy will award you 15 XP when you resolve the issue between you). Character Description and Story At this point, if you haven't already since it's at the top of the Character Sheet, choose your height, weight, hair and eye color, gender, and character name. You can also write a brief history of your character that integrates any Background chosen or is independent of it. Regardless of how creative you are, you gain no bonuses from this history. You only gain bonuses (and penalties) from the Backgrounds. And now you're done.